This is a topic of which not much has been written nor preached. This topic is controversial, I know but that we ought to teach much more on this subject for society is loosing respect! Our contemporary society has not much room left for respect anymore. Oh yes, we demand respect of others, but we do not give respect back. We have become so senseless and so heart-heartened, only thinking about ourselves, and about the consummation of our own lusts. And this not only concerns the secular world, but the contemporary Christian society also. Christian churches quarrel and fight each other like wolves. A power struggle is on, to be the best, the biggest and foremost of all, the most popular Church in town. People, this is utterly wrong! Have you ever thought about the fact that with this kind of attitude you are bringing dishonor to God and to Christianity? We, as Christians ought to be the ones who take the lead and show the world what respect is. Not for our own sakes, but for Christ’s sake! For Christianity’s sake!
We do not need to go far to see that respect has become an almost foreign word. A word we cannot understand anymore. Nowadays, contemporary society has no respect for elders, for parents, teachers, politicians, and what is even worst of all, there is no respect for God. God demands from us that: “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.”(Lev. 19:32). I am sorry to say that I do not see much of this on the streets nor in the homes anymore. Society has become a society of which the primary focus has become the fulfillment of the ‘self’. In other words, selfish behavior is what’s on the priority list of society today. The indulgence of our own lusts has become the highest attainable goal. Comfort is crucial and repentance has become an almost abusive word.There is no room for repentance nor room for Jesus anymore. Jesus is considered ‘old fashioned’ nowadays. People think that His principles were something for society in His days. How wrong they are!
Respect is something that is still very up-to-date today, and it should start at home. Parents should teach their kids respect, and kids in return should learn to respect their parents. Did you know that disrespecting one’s parents puts you under a curse from God (Deut 27:16)? And not only for disrespecting one’s parents, but also for dishonoring God and each other, you will be placed under a curse. And by curse I mean a curse from God! Take a look:
“And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice, Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place . And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife; because he uncovereth his father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.”(Deut 27:14-27)
From above mentioned Scriptures, we see that dishonoring, disrespecting God, our parents, family, and each other, puts us under a curse. All these curses are placed on us whenever we disrespect not only God, but each other as well! We need not look far away to see that society today is living under the effects of these curses. Some of the effects are: alcoholism, increase in criminality, poverty, extreme anger, etc. If we do not watch out we will be destroyed by God like Sodom and Gomorrah where. Society is in fact becoming much like the society in Sodom and Gomorrah . Just let me give you one example of what is rampant of society here in the Netherlands today. Aggressive behavior. And by aggressive I mean really aggressive. People have become so intolerant, so disrespectful against each other, that if you try to set someone straight, you might end up killed! Oh yes, you read rightly. Just take a look at the murder of Theo van Gogh, the famous Dutch moviemaker.
He spoke his mind and was killed for it. No respect there either. I have myself witnessed it countless times, that young people remain seated on the busses, trains or wherever, while elderly people remained on their feet. And do not even try to set the record straight. You might end up with a blue eye. That’s right folks, that's society today. No respect, no manners, no moral. Let me give you another example. The highways. People like to drive bumper to bumper just to tease each other. No manners on the highway either. And do not try to say something, because it might not end well with you. Nowadays, it is better not to say anything, that to say something.
Another common thread of the disrespect that is so rampant in society today is the use of abusive words. This is, the use of profane words like g..less etc. How many times a day do we hear these kinds of curses being spoken? Have you ever thought about the consequences of this? Have you really ever thought about that? I have! Did you know that words can bring death or life? “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Prov 18:21 ). Did you ever take heed of Jesus words’ who said that “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned?”(Matt 21:37 ). Here in the Netherlands , where I live, the word God is used in many profane words, and worst of all, it is used by high ranked people as if it just were a normal part of the language. People do not think about the consequences of using such words. One day you will be judged for those words.
Dear brothers and sisters, think for a second about what you are saying when you are using these words. You are actually disrespecting God and cursing Him! Is that your intention? I hardly think so. Are we obeying God an honoring Him when we use His name in our profane words? Are we following His command that says: “I am the Lord God, and I demand that you honor my holy name”(Lev.22:2)? Hardly. And this profane language does not only end up here. In Dutch many profane words are in fact curses. There is one that actually tells you to get sick or cancerous. People do not understand that by using these at other people, they are in fact sending curses at them. In Church things are not better either! Churches curse, profane and hate each other. They compete with each other for worldly goods and have forgotten what a true Christian Church is all about. No godly love nor respect is to be found there either. Don’t get me wrong! There are many churches who are very godly indeed, but those churches I am not referring too. It is not about who is the biggest Church nor who has the most popular Church, it is about what we as a Church, whether small or big teach and live out. It is about what kind of morals and examples we display in this world and to society. We as Christians, have an obligation to live a life worthy of Christ. We as Christians are in a way, selling Christianity to unbelievers and thus we ought to give an example, of what true Christianity is really all about. Only in this way can we evangelize successfully!
How will we win souls if we ourselves are not setting the right example by respecting each other? Why is criticism so rampant today within modern churches? Why is there so much discord and jealousy amongst them? Surely, those are not the fruits of a Christian life. We as Christians should respect each other. Some of us are stronger in the faith then others. But we all in fact as Christians, serve ‘One God’. All of us share the same Father, the same Jesus. In my opinion, the apostle Paul gave us a good example of how we should treat each other, in spite of differences of opinions and of customs. Take a look at what he said to the Romans about this. Before you read the Scripture, you need to know that in Paul’s time there was a quarrel going on, about who was in fact worshipping God the right way, the Jews or the Gentiles. This is what Paul had to say about this issue:
“Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike . Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it . He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.”(Rom 14:1-9)
From this Scripture we learn that we ought to respect each other’s customs and differences. Why? Because with doing so, we glorify God. We please God when we do so, by not offending our brothers through differences of opinions and of customs. We all have our own set of values by which we live by. We do well in rembering that each one of us Christians, will face judgment-day sooner or later. No doubt about that. We ought to learn from each other and not condemn each other. No custom is better nor higher than the other. No one of us is better than the other “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”(Rom 3:23 ). Did you know that by disrespecting and thinking yourself higher than your brother, you are in fact dishonoring and disrespecting Jesus? Jesus treated us with respect, He lowered Himself to become one of us. His life was that of a servant. We should therefore “be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.”(Rom 12:10 ) . This we ought to do for the glory of Christ! We glory Christ by walking in the light of Christ, by following His example so “that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”(John 17:21).
We learn that nobody should regard himself better nor higher than the other. Instead we ought to weep with each other and laugh with each other (Rom 12:15 ). Brothers and sisters, we need each other, we are all part of the same family. How do we do this? By respecting each other! Respect is a natural feeling that flows out of love. We ought to love each other in order to respect each other, both go hand in hand. Jesus demanded it from us! How doe do we do this? We do it by being “likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus” (Rom 15:5b).